Letter separating and feeding device.



KBPL IOATION FILED APR. 29, 1912.

Patented Apr; 8, 1913.

3 SHEETS-BEEF]? 1.'

F. G BOSWELL.

LETTER SEPARATING AND FEEDING DEVICE.

A'PPL'IGATION FILED APR. 29, 1912 Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WWW um WWW F... QQwQQW Wilma soc o -P. G. BOSWELL. LETTER SEPAEATING AND FEEDING nsvws. v APPLICATION FILED APE.29,.1912. 1 058,696, Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

' I I I album? STATEhl PATENT air is ll Unto rsnncrs e. noswniin'or wnsmneron, nrsrnrcror COLll'llFifiLf-i, essren'on no nonnnr A. noswnnn, or wnsnmoron, ms'rnrcr or comment Specification of' Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 8, ii

original application filed iebruary 13,1909, Serial No. 477,522. Divided and' this application file o. April its 1912. Serial No. 693,962.

T all whom it may concern Be it known lllBit'FRANGIS G. BosWELL, s citizen of the United States of America,

residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, has invented anew and useful Letter Separating and Feedin Device, of

which the following is a speci cation.

This invention is a separating and feeding device for use in conjunction with stamp canceling machines. It is designed with the object of providing simple and durable apparatus of this hind, which will do its work efiiciently and with a minimum liabilthe printing members of the machine, the

next. letter following in quick succession, and soon, until all the letters are canceled.

l-ieretofore ell separators and feeders have been open to the inherent objection of allowing more than one letter at a time to pass through the machine, resulting 1n what is known as skips and defective post-' marks.

With the invention at hand, this trouble is obviated by providing a suitable feed roller and a. novel separator to work in conjunction therewith.

the invention is in no way restricted. The

inventor reserves the right to make any changes or alterations which practice may demand,'pro\'ided that by so doing, he does; not deviate from the spirit of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings which accom puny this specification and form a part thereof:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a portion The feed roller serves to deliverthe initial letter of a stack of mail to the standing may be had:

of a canceling machine, showing the upper bed plate and parts of the machine.mounted thereon. J i

Figure 2 is a front, elevation of a portion of a canceling machine, parts being broken away so astodisplay the driving mocha-- nism for the machine. Figure 3 is a detail View showing the-up per and lower/bed platesin section, clearly illustrating-the auxiliary feed belt, and the tightening means therefor.

Figure 4: is a detail perspective View showing the feed roll 33, and'the manner in. which thesame is movably mounted in the bed plate, and the means for adjusting; said feed roll. I

t Figure 5 is a detail sectional view of PL portion of the upper bedplate, showing the carrier belt and the rolls therefor.

F igure 618 a fragmentary detail view showlnge modificationof the separating .means that is shown. in Figure l, in this figure the separating means-proper 1s ad ustable by means of the thumb nut.

Figure 7 a sectional view on line 9 of Figure 6, showing the parts upon an en" larged scale, and illustrating the nianncr in which the thumb nutis held from rotating when once adjusted. i 1

Figure 8'shows a further modification of the separating means, showing nuntli-iwl means fbr holding the separating means or cone in adjusted posit-ions;

Figure9 is a-jtlet-ail view of a portion of the structure-thr ll; is shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is-ai view showing a modification of separating -means, which comprises fingers.

Figure 11 is afragmentary view, showing in side elevation the structurethnt is shown in Figure 10. i I

- Figure 12 is 'detail' view partlyin section of the helical separating cone.

' Reverting to Figure 1 anddesl'gnating the parts by numerals, so that a clearer under- Numberl is the auxiliary feed belt fence, secured "to the bed plete'e, cap screws which pass thro-ugh the {)IQ16Ctl0n5 2 "Nuin'bers 3, 4,'-5 and fi are the carrier belt fences, also' fastened to bed plate 12 in the same manneras fence 1,- projections 3, t,

and 6 being clamped down by the cap screws 3", 4 5 and 6".

Number 7 is the assisting arm mounted loosely on the stud 8, and thrown normally backward, by the spring 9, the length of throw being limited by .the lug 10 on the arm, coming in contact with the projection 11 on the stud. The assisting arm swings over the auxiliary feed belt 12 and in rear of the mail which is placed upon thefeed belt 12) in order to assist in feeding the mail to the separating mechanism. The mail when placed upon the belt is positioned in front of the arm 7. This belt also runs over a belt tightener, composed of sheaves 1G and 16, mounted on frame 17, which. also carries the boxed pulley 18. This whole frame swivels on the lower bed plate, being connected thereto by the screw stud 10. A wing screw 20 serves to hold the frame 17 station- Y ary, when it has been moved to tighten the 3 The sheave 27 is also fastened to the shaft her 34:.

23, and is the medium through which the' shaft receives motion.

Numeral 28 is the feed belt tightener pulley, secured to the shaft 29, which is carried by the bracket bearing 30 designed to slide in a'recessed portion of the upper bed plate, being capable of enough longitudinal adj ustment to take up all slack in the feed belts 31; this adjustment being maintained by the cap screw 39 which, passing through the slotted portion 30 of the bracket, holds it to the bed plate.

The shaft 29 carries at its lower end a sheave 32 from which the feed belts 31 are *driven. .These feed belts in turn drive the feed roller 3 which carries on its periphery, midway between the two belts, the feed rub- The feed roller is loosely mounted on the stud 35 set in and projecting through a slide (composed of the parts 35 and 35 united by the screws 35) which moves in aslotted portion of the bed plate, this slot being cut on the arc of a circle, the center of which is the shaft 29. This method gives flexibility to the feed roller without affecting the tension of the feed belts. 'lhe fiat spring 36 holds the stud 35 normally against the .front of the slot, but this stud is adjustable backward by means of thehand wheel 37 and rod 37.w-hich connects with the rod 38 through the bevel gears 39. This rod 38 passes through bracketed bearings 40, and

threads into the box nut 41 which slides in a same time is capable of a swiveling motion on the pins 43.

On the fence 4 brackets 390 and 391 are mounted,being made integral with the fence. The brackets 390 and 391 carry bearings in which the separator cone shaft 392 is journaled, while the bracket 391 acts as a steadying bearing for the separator gear shaft 52. On the shaft 392 the separator cone is mounted, its surface being provided with the spirally formed steps 393, while that portion of the frustrum near the base carries the separator rubber 394. A bevel gear 395 is fastened on the shaft 392 at the end remote from the cone and meshes with the bevel gear 396 carried by the shaft The cone is then driven in a clockwise direction (when viewed from the apex) by the gear which, meshing with the drive gear 51, receives motion and transmits it by the shaft to the bevel gear 396.

A modified form of separator may be used, as shown in Figures 5, 7, 8, and 9, in which case a swinging fence 397 is used in place of the fence 4, while the steadying bearing of shaft 52 is transferred to the bed plate 6. A hinge 398, integral with the fence 397 sets over the shaft on that portion which extends through the bed plate on which it has a thrust, and the hinge is so formed as to straddle the feed gear 396. \Vith the separator on this swinging fence, it is unnecessary to have the feed roll adjustable, for the swinging property of the fence makes possible the adjustment of the separator cone. This adjustment is accomplished in the form shown in Figures 8 and 9 by the adjustn'ient screw 399, the head of which rests behind the bifurcated extension 400 of the projection. 401, this projection being a part of the fence 397.

The other end of the screw passes through the lug 402 (stationary 0n the bed'platc) and enters the knurled nut 403, while the -spiral spring 404, which is under compression between the lug 4.92 and the bifurcated part tOU, tends to force the fence 397, togethcr with the separator cone, towards the feedroller. By turning the nut 403, the position of the cone with respect to the feed roller can be varied.

Another form of adj ustmentscrew is shown in Figures (3 and 7. in which form the screw is hinged to the separator fence at the point 405, where it is capable of a swiveling movement. Passing through the lug 406, to the top of which the flat spring 407 is secured, it threads into the nut +108, provided on its periphery with grooves for the reception of the spring. With this form of adjustment screw, any movement of the separator fence mustneccssarily cause a movement of the screw, but the spring 407 being long enough to remain in contact with recessed portion of the crank 42 and at the r with the reciprocating arms.

" vnotches not 408 for the extreme movement of nut 4-08 is not upset.

titill another tor-mot separator is shown in m the screw, anv predetermined adjustment of e finger 1-4; is mounted on the solid spinwhich drops through the hollow spin ii lhis spindle 46 carries at its upper end and directly below the finger &4, the

lin er 47. These two spindles connect, be-

low the upper bed plate, with the recipro crating arms e91 llhe hollow shaft 46 is provided with, suitable bearing features t e upper bed plate. Thegear 50 serves to drive the separating fingers, by meshing with the drive. gear 51. The gear 50 is mounted on the shaft 52, whioh'carries the eccentrics 53. and connecting rods unitejthe' eccentrics The carrier belt 56, running overthepulicy 57 and adapted to run over another pulley (not shown), is driven byfiany suitable means (not shown), such as disclosed in the aforesaid patent. i y i I Numerals and .66, are the switch idler rollers. Grooves 65 are cut in their circum ferences to provide clearance for the switch tongue 73, there being only one of said i groovesshown, in Figure 2. Each of'th'ese rollers is carried on its shaft (which is integral with the roller) in suitable L-shaped Jearings 67,- swiveling from the upper bed plate on screw studs 67*, with the legs of the L-shaped bearingsmoX-able through slots cut in the bed plate. provided with sheaves 68 from which each receives motion. p

The switch is composedof thetongue i swiveled onthestud (4 directly above'the pawl 75. A shoulder on the stud'l'reeps the tongue and pawl-fromdropping to the bottom of the stud and a suitable washer 76 and screw 77 preventthein from rising off the top. .The. pawl is capable of movement betweers the studs 78 and 79, while the tongue is normally held back, against the piilar 80 by the spring ,81, the tension of which spring governed by the screw 82 and the knurled nut 83 set in the box 8 1.

The spring 81 is of greater strength than v the spiral spring 85 which is connected between the pinj86 on the pawl and pin 87 on the tongue and serves to :held the pawl F against the stud. 78, when theto-ngue against" the pillar 80:; the-spring 85 then contracting on that side of the stud "7 1 nearest the stud 78. Nhen thc. tongue 73 is away t'romtlmpillar SO-Whither it is thrown by the approaching letter, therspringM85 contracts on the opposite side of,-the studr741 and draws the "pawl 75 over-against the stud 79, during which operation the pawl passes and "makes contact with the contact block 88, thus closing the ClFQUlt on the degures 10 and 11 which comprises fingers.

Suitableeccentric straps 54c ing 110 in'v the upperbed plate. e. A steady- The rollers are further I 88 set on a pi vot bearing 90. The operation of this contact block is. also disclosed vin the foresaid patent.: flhedetent magnet is set in. the frame. 96: bolted tothe upper bed plate 6, which frame is provided with the arm 97 A knurled screw 98 andlockinut 99 constitute means for adjusting the plunger core. 100 vertically through the center ot the magnet, Thisplunger is designedto disengage the detent 101 from the notch 105 of the detent platerllleh by hitting the tail .of the detent, thus drawing'the nose down.

- The die hub shaft-lOtr'has a suitable bearmg bearing, 111, set; in the bracket, v1 12,

suflices to relieveall transverse strains due to operation Directly below the upper bed plate, the adie'hub :shaft 106 connects with and is'dri'ven -bya driver similar to that shown, setforth and claimed in the pending Patent No. 1,024,552, issued April 30, 1912. V In practice, the operation of the machine is as follows When the shaft-115m started by any suitable means, its motion is transmitted, through the gear 51, to the gear 50, which revolves "the separator cone. When the driver is operated, the shaft 115 rotates With it, said driver being fed by the insulated brush 257, and current travels over the wires (not shown, but as shown in the above said patent), to the brush holder stud 126. From this it passes to the slip ring 123, and enters the winding ,(not shown) of the driver,fro1n the grounded end oi which it returns to the ground brush (not shown) of a'generator (notshown). However, all of this structure "is illustrated in the aforesaid patent. I I

hen letters are placed on the auxiliary feed belt 12, they are forced against the. feed belt 31, by the movement of: the latter belt 12, andthe'aid of the assisting arm 7. Theseparator cone then acts on the letters and tends to force back all except the one which is in intimate contact with the feed belt 31 and feed rubber 34:. This letter, by virtue of the superiorcontactingsurface of idlersj65 and 66,.wher'e-it hits the switch tongue73, and throws the pawl 75 into con- .tact with the block 88, thereby operating the die-cylinder, in the manner set forth in the said pending Qapplication. j I

The, fence 4" and the helical separating cone 39 1 with its shaft- 392 are also'adjust- ;,able on the shaft 52 which acts as a pivot. The 'fence' terminates in 'a' curve 4, the extremity of which is pivoted ate to the the feed roller and belts, is forced into the carrier belt 56 and transferred o the switch section of fence 4?. Through one end of the section 4, a pin 4 extends, which pin is mounted in a slot 4 in one end of the fence 1. In this manner the fence 4" when adjustedflexes through the connections 4: and

ber; acone member having spiral threads acting co-ordinately to feed one letter at-a time and mounted in bearings of the pivoted lettgr guide; and means for adjusting the g 2. In a mailseparating mechanism; a feed belt;'ai pivoted letter guide; a cone member having spiral threads acting co-ordinately to feed one letter at a time between the belt and the cone; and means for adjusting the guide.

3. In a mail separating mechanism; a feed belt; a pivoted letter guide; a co'n'e member having spiral threads actin co-ordinately to feed one letter at a time between the belt and the cone; and means for adjusting the guide; and means for adjusting the feed belt.

4. In a mail separating mechanism; a feed belt; a letter guide pivoted in a positionadjacent the feed belt, a revoluble member mounted in bearing of the guide and provided at one end with a cone having spiral threads acting co-ordinately and with the feed belt to feed one letter at a time between the cone and the belt, and operated gear connections at the pivot of the guide for operating the cone.

5. In a mail separating mechanism; a feed belt; a letter guide pivoted in a position adjacent the feed belt, a revoluble mem-- ber mounted in bearing of the guide and .provided at one end with a cone having spiral threads acting co-ordinately and with the feed belt to feed one letter-at a timebetween the cone and the belt, and operated gear connections at the pivot of the guide for operating the cone; and means for adjusting the guide and with it the revoluble member and its cone.

6. In a mail separating mechanism; a feed belt; a letter guide pivoted in a positioned jacent the feed belt, a revoluble member mounted in bearing of the guide and provided at one end with a cone having spiral threads acting co-ordinately andwith the feed belt to feed one letter at a time between the cone and the belt, and operated gear connections at the pivot of the guide for operating the cone; and men us for adjusting the guide and with it the revoluble member and itsl cone; and means for adjusting the feed 7 In a mail separating mechanism a feed belt; a mail advancing "means; a pair of letter guides one upon either side of the mail advancing means; a revoluble shaft acting as a pivot and upon which one of the guides is pivoted; a revoluble spindle mounted in bearings of one of the guides and provided with a'cone having spiral threads acting coordinately and w1th the feed belt to feed one letter at a time between the cone and.

the belt; gear connections between the rev;

oluble shaft and the spindle; and means for adjusting one of the guides and with. it the spindle and the cone.

\ 8.. In a mail separating mechanism; a feed belt; a mail advancingmeans; a pair of letter guides one upon elther side of the.

mail advancing means; a revoluble shaft acting as a pivot and upon which one of the guides is pivoted; a revoluble spindle mounted in bearings of one of the guides and rovided with a cone having spiral threads acting co-ordinately and with the feed belt to feed one letter at a time between the cone and the belt; gear connections between the revoluble shaft and the spindle; and means for adjusting one of the guides and with it the spindle and the cone; and means for adjusting the feed belt relative to the cone.

9. In a mail marking machine having means'for supporting the letters; means for feeding the letters forward; a revoluble member having a volute helix thread adapted to arrange and hold a series of letters in stepped relation with one another.

10. In a mail marking machine having means for supporting the letters and provided with means for feeding the letters forward; a revoluble member adapted to rotate downwardly towards the mail, and providedwith a volute helix thread adapted to arrange each piece of mail matter of a series of letters in stepped relation to each proceeding piece of mail.

11. Inamail marking machine having means for supporting the letters and provided with means for feeding the letters forward; a revoluble member having a volute helix thread adapted to arrange a plurality of letters in stepped relation to one another; and means for adjusting the member in a lateral direction to and from the mail. 1

12. In a mail marking machine having means for supporting the letters and provided with means for feeding the mail forward; arevoluble member adapted to rotate downwardly towards the mail, and provided with a volute helix thread adapted to arrange a plurality of letters in stepped relation to one another;.and means for adjusting the member in a lateral direction towards and from the mail.

13. In'a mail marking machine having meansfor supporting the letter, and prm vided with "means. for feeding the mail forjusting one endof the other.

14. In a mail marking machine; a revoluble cone member having a volute helix thread adapted to arrange each letter of a" series of letters in stepped relation to each other, and a separator feed belt with-which the mail matter contacts.

15. In a mail oluble. conemember" having a volute helix thread adapted to arrange each letter of a series of letters in steipped relation to each other and a separato feed belt with which the mail matter contacts; and means for ad separator feed belt.

16. In a mail marking machine having means for supporting the letters, and proward; a revoluble cone mem er adapted to rotate dovmwardly and towards the mailmatter, and provided with a volute vhelix thread, the scrolls of to arrange each letter of the series of letters in stepped relation to each other.

17. In a mail marking machine having means for supporting the letters, and pro-- vided with means for feeding the maiI forward; a revoluble cone member adapted "to rotate downwardly, and towards the mail matter, and provided with a volu'te helix thread, the scrolls of which are' adapted to arrange each'letter of a series of letters in stepped relation to each other; and means for adjusting the cone 'member in a'lateral direction towards and from the mall niatien' 18. In a mail marking machine; a. revoluble cone 'member 'adapted to rot-ate downwardly and towards themail matter, and provided with a volute helix thread, the scrolls of which are adapted to arrange each letter of the series relation to each other; and means for adjusting the cone member in a lateral direc tion towards and from the mail matter; a separator feed belt, with which the mail matter contacts; and means for adjusting one end of the separator feed belt.-

19. In a mail marking machine; separating means for the mail comprising a feed belt, a cone member having a volutehelix thread, the scrolls of which are arranged in stepped relations andoperating downwardly and towards the mail to arrange each letter of a series of letters in stepped relation to each other and against the feed belt.

20. In a mail marking machine; separating means for the mail comprising a feed marking machine; a rev-- the mail for which being adapted of letters in stepped belt; a cone member having a single volute acting to arrange each letter of a stack-of thateach letter will be fed by the belt one at a time between the cone and the belt; means for-adjusting the cone member. relatively to the feed "belt; and means for adjusting one end of the feed belt relative to the cone member.

22. In combination with a .bed plate; a

separator niail feeding means thereon; a

. mail separating member comprising a conical-body having means constructed thereon to the rear of the preceding piece, so that only one piece of mail at a time is admitted between the feeding means and the conical body, the conical body adapted torotate downwardly and towards! the mail to cause the same to hug the bed plate of the feeding means. n

23. .In combination witha bed plate; a separator 'mail feeding means thereon; a mail separating member comprising a sub stantially abrupt conical body having means constructed thereon adapted to "push each piece of mail matter to the rear-of the preceding piece, so that only one piece of mail at a time is admitted between the, feeding means and the conical body, the conical body adapted to rotate downwardly'and towards the mail to cause the same, to hug thc bed plate of the feeding means; and means for rotating the conical body,

'24. I11 a mail marking machine; a bed plate; a revoluble member mounted in bearings of the bed plate vand provided with a volute helix thread adapted to arrange a series of letters in'steppe'd relation to each other; said member adapted to rotate downwardly toward the series of letters and toward the bed plate to hug the letters to the bed plate. g a

In witness-whereof, the ap licant s signature is hereunto'afiixed in t e-presence of two Witnesses.

, FRANCIS G. BOSWELL. Witnesses: -'-f Roster A. ;Bo'sw-nLL, Ro'HnMEYnR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing tl'ie"(commi i r-: gy t u Waahlngton, D. 03f a helix thread, the volute scrolls of which letters in stepped relation to each other, so

adapted to force each piece of-mail matter 

